Cutting Edge
by Laria
Summary: When Darien leaves Serena, she finds comfort in Jed, but when Darien comes back. He won't give up on her without a fight. Please R&R!
1. Cutting Edge - Suprises

Cutting Edge  
By: Laria  
Rating: G  
E-mail: Laria@prodigy.net  
Disclaimer: Not mine, belongs to OTHER people, none of which  
just happens to be me. ^^;;  
  
Konnichiwa Minna! I had an idea for a fic, so I decided   
to give it a go. Let me know if you like it, and   
I'll continue. If you don't like it, or totally hate it,   
let me know that too, so I can still quit and delete it  
while I'm still ahead.   
  
The plot will develop as you go along. You need to let   
me know if I should continue or not, so please R&R if   
you would, please. Arigato! ~Laria  
  
  
Prologue: Suprises  
  
  
Serena Kyle ran next door to her neighbor's house. *KNOCK*KNOCK*  
"Hey Darien! It's me, open up!" she shouted quietly.  
  
A tousled, dark haired 14-year old boy answered the door, "Serena,  
do you have ANY idea what time it is?" he yawned, still in his  
pajamas.  
  
"I know it's earlier than usual, but I need to go shopping for my  
dad's birthday, and I have no idea what to get him." She explained.  
  
"And what can I do about that?" he asked, still standing in the  
doorway of the large mansion.  
  
"Oh, come on! You're a guy, I need a male's opinion." She pleaded.  
"You know these things, and plus, you can SURELY help your best  
friend in her time of need." She pouted.  
  
He frowned, "Okay, okay, I'll do it."   
-I never could object when you gave me that look- he thought to  
himself with a slight smile. "Just give me a little while   
to change."  
  
"THANK YOU! THANK YOU!" She exclaimed, leaning over and giving him  
a huge hug.  
  
"You are now forever in my debt, dear Princess." He replied with  
a smirk.  
  
"I'm forever yours, all-mighty Prince." She teased back.  
  
* * *  
  
A blonde-haired, 14-year old tanned youth walked briskly   
around the sidewalk, noting the scenery. He had recently moved to   
this neighborhood.  
  
Then he heard loud giggling. Curious, he followed the noise, staying  
out of sight.  
  
There was a gorgeous girl with long strands of blonde hair, lying  
on the grass. Beside her, there was a wrapped box with ribbons. -A  
gift- he realized. Next to that was an older guy, around his age,   
muttering something he couldn't quite make out.  
  
Suddenly, he felt something brush against his hand and yelled out,  
exposing himself to the couple in front of him. He blushed,  
knowing that he had been spying on them.  
  
The girl smiled brightly, "Hi! Are you new here? I'm Serena Kyle,  
and this tough guy over here is Darien Bryan. What's your name?"  
  
He watched her, "My name's Jed Taylor. I just moved here from   
Florida with my family."  
  
"How old are you? What grade are you in? Do you know what school you're  
going to? Do you have a sibling? Are you an only child?" Serena asked,  
bombarding questions.  
  
Darien laughed, "Don't mind her, she just gets a little overexcited  
sometimes."  
  
Keeping at her pace he replied with a smlie, "14, going to   
9th grade, no, yes, no."  
Serena's face lightened as she realized he had answered her in that  
exact order, "Sister or brother?"  
  
"Younger sister, 13, name's Mina." he finished off with a slight grin.  
  
"Hey! I'm 13 and Darien is 14." She said with a smile. "Tell you what,  
I'm going to have a party at my house Saturday, come and bring Mina."  
  
"Where do you live?" He asked.  
  
"My address is 1237 Emerald Street, but it's the only house with the  
fountain in the front. See you and your sister Saturday!" She winked.  
Then she waved good-bye, dragging Darien and her gift toward her home.  
  
* * *  
  
~~ 2 years later ~~  
  
Serena woke up excitedly, her 15th birthday was today! Darien was   
taking her out to dinner, somewhere special. She was extremely  
excited! She glanced at her alarm clock once more, dragging herself  
out of bed. She changed into a light pink shirt, and blue jeans. She  
brushed out hair, pulling it into a high pony-tail. Then, she pulled  
on her baby-blue baseball cap, and put on some sandals.  
  
She walked out the door, grabbing a doughnut on the way. She  
walked toward the familiar scenery to her boyfriend's house. In  
2 years, they had gone from being best friends to "The Hottest Couple"  
in town, as her friend Mina had told her, but to her, it meant so  
much more than just being a couple. It meant she could always have  
Darien to count on, not just as her boyfriend, but also as her best  
friend, which he had been first for 11 years.  
  
Serena walked up to the door and rang the doorbell. Finding no  
answer, she cautiously opened the door. She walked in to find  
the huge mansion almost bare. She looked down on the floor to find  
a letter with one word written on it: SERENA.  
  
Serena walked out the door, sitting on the stair of the enormous   
house. Slowly, feeling a slow sense of dread, she carefully picked up  
the envelope, opening it. She pulled out the letter and read it.  
  
* * *  
  
Jed strolled down the street, whistling. Today is Serena's   
birthday. He was planning on giving her his gift before the  
party. As a special thanks, seeing as she had always been nice  
to Mina and him since they moved.  
  
As he walked around the corner, he noticed the now increasingly  
familiar hair of Serena, sitting on Darien's front steps, crying.  
  
He ran over to her, "What's wrong, Birthday Girl?" he asked. She  
turned around and faced him, her eyes burning hot with tears. He  
wrapped his arms around her, trying to comfort her. "Serena,  
what's wrong?" He felt her whole body stiffen, and she handed him  
a piece of paper. -A letter- he realized, reading it.  
  
Jed felt anger consume him. -How dare he hurt her! She's  
the most wonderful, loving, thoughtful, happiest person I've   
ever met! Her boyfriend, no her best friend, just crushed her  
in so many ways...ON HER BIRTHDAY, of all days! God ... how ...   
how COULD he do this to her?-  
  
He wrapped his arms around her, hugging her while she cried in  
his arms. Her heart torn into so many pieces. He held her in  
his arms, tightly. "I'll be here for you Serena. I promise, I'll  
never let ANYONE hurt you, ever again."  
==============  
Done! What'd ya think? Remember, this is a prologue, a rather  
short prologue, but a prologue nonetheless. If I get enough reviews,  
I'll take it that you like it or hate it & I'll continue on from  
there. Arigato! ~Laria 


	2. Cutting Edge - Revelation

Cutting Edge  
By: Laria  
Rating: G  
E-mail: Laria@prodigy.net  
Disclaimer: Sailor Moon belongs to Naoko Takeuchi(?) & other   
big companies who I don't remember right now. ^.^;;;  
  
Hi Minna! I decided to revise this chapter because I had a lot of  
ideas that I left out in this chapter. There are going to be new  
scenes and some that I changed so please reread it! Please R&R!   
~Laria  
  
Jed is Jedite by the way. ^.~   
Chapter One is 6 years after the prologue. Darien is 23, Serena is 21,  
Jed is 23, Mina is 21, and Raye is 22, this is an AU. I think that   
pretty much covers it. Sorry if this confuses anyone. ^^;;  
-...-indicates thoughts  
  
  
Chapter One: Revelations  
  
  
Serena skated toward the entrance of the ice rink, her long,   
blonde hair in two buns on each side of her head. She walked out of  
the rink, her face glowing from the exertion. She glanced at her  
watch, which read 6AM, and sighed. She sat down on a bench, slowly  
untying her skates and removing them.  
  
Then she felt large, gentle hands cover her eyes, suddenly   
surrounding her in darkness. She smiled, "Hmmm...I wonder who this   
may be." She said with a slight smile, "Could it be Jed?!"   
  
The hands untangled themselves from over her eyes, and she came  
face-to-face with Jed. "Well, Miss Kyle, how did you EVER know?" He  
remarked with mock suprise.  
  
Serena giggled, "Well, Mr. Taylor, I guess I just happen to be  
psychic! Or it could be, that maybe you're the only person in the  
world that knows I come ice skating to this very same arena every  
single morning?"  
  
He raised his eyebrow, "You're very smart! You put two and two   
together, Miss Kyle. Oris Serena okay." He asked with a lopsided grin.  
  
"We should be bett--"  
  
He cut her off with a kiss on the lips and pulled away.  
"er aquainted, but that's okay." She grinned, walking toward the  
lockers and shoving her skates in, shutting the lock and the locker  
door.  
  
* * *  
  
Darien Bryan walked away from the large business building with an elegant blonde by his side. She was a gorgeous supermodel not to  
mention famous and rich.   
  
Her layered hair had a reddish tint, giving it a strawberry blonde   
shade that reached a little past her shoulders. Her aqua-blue eyes expressed a smug smile and satisfaction clinging onto his muscular   
arm. She was wearing expensive designer clothes, giving them an   
distinct sense of style only she could pass for. She laid her head on Darien's arm, feeling a pleasant feeling of security, and smiled   
at him.   
  
Darien sighed, frowning at the gorgeous face on his arm. "Kara, how many  
times do I have to tell you? Don't do that in public." He whispered into  
her ear, going into the limo.  
  
"Don't do what?" She asked innocently.  
  
"Don't go around clinging my arm like we're a married couple. Especially  
not right after a business meeting." He snapped.  
  
She almost scowled, so the meeting hadn't gone well. She gave him a  
light smile, "I'm sorry, but I think the world has a right to know that  
you, Mr. Bryan, are off limits," She sighed blissfully.  
  
Darien rolled his eyes and sighed, "That's what tonight's dinner party is  
for, Kara. Why else would I be having it?" He remarked.  
  
"No need to get crabby, dear. I'm glad the media's coming. I want the  
whole world to know that Darien Bryan is mine, and unavailable." She smiled.  
  
* * *  
  
Serena plopped down on the squishy black couch. She had given up on the  
skating career, seeing as she had already gotten a couple of medals and  
had even been in the Olympics! That part of her life was over now. She  
had to find another livelihood. Feeling a little bored, she turned on the  
television, flipping through channels when she stopped on a news station.  
  
"And on other news tonight, Mr. Darien Bryan, one of the Europe's most   
eligible bachelor, currently living in France, is officially announcing  
his engagement to Miss Kara Stewart, his 6-year steady girlfriend. Their  
wedding, sure to be one of the most remerable ones in history, is planned  
to be sometime in the next few months or so. We will be there covering the  
dinner party, live, at 7PM..."  
  
Serena watched the screen numbly, not believing one word of what the news  
anchor had said. She refused to believe that Darien, her Darien was  
planning to get married to some witch of a woman in a couple of months. Then  
she shook the feeling off, -What the heck am I talking about? Since when  
had I thought of Darien as mine? It shouldn't bother me at all. I mean,  
we broke up, our relationship was over...a LONG time ago.- She thought  
quietly.   
  
* * *  
  
Jed whistled a cheerful tune, walking up toward the top floor of the   
penthouse with several letters and bills in hand. He stepped in the  
elevator and pushed the 'T' button, watching carefully as the elevator  
moved up, passing the 1st floor, now passing the 3rd floor, and stopped  
at the 5th. The elevator door ringed, opening, as he stepped out walking  
toward the room he knew so well.  
  
He knocked on the door, and receiving no answer, cautiously opened the  
door with his key and peeked in. He saw no one, but the television was  
on. -Serena probably pushed the mute button and forgot about turning it  
off,- He thought.  
  
He walked up toward the main bedroom, peering inside for Serena. "Sere?"  
Immediately he heard a big shuffle of stuff, and walked inside just in  
time to see her stuff a shoebox into the closet and lock it.  
  
He raised his eyebrow, puzzled about the box in the closet, but respecting  
her enough not to ask her about it. Ignoring what he was feeling, he  
winked, "You've Got Mail!"  
  
She looked up at him, knowing he had seen what she had done. Her eyes  
expressed gratitude and deciding to ignore the scenrio, she smiled.  
"Snail or E-mail?" she asked.  
  
"Snail mail, but mostly bills from what I see." He snickered.  
  
She raised her eyebrow and grinned, "You do know going through other   
people's mail is like a federal offense?"  
  
Snickering, he replied, "I think this is an exception. I am your mail man  
after all. All because SOMEONE, no names mentioned," he stated giving  
Serena a accusing glance, "is too lazy to get their own mail. But...I have  
a little suprise for you."  
  
"You do?!" She squealed, "I LOVE suprises, tell me!"  
  
He pulled out an envelope from the pile of mail. "This," he said, pointing  
to the envelope, "is an invitation..."  
  
"To?"   
  
"...to Mina's wedding."  
  
"OHMYGOSH!!! REALLY?! SHE'S FINALLY GOING TO GET MARRIED?!" She screamed  
in excitement. "Does this lucky finacee happen to be Kunzite?" She asked.  
  
"Yes, they both invited a lot of people. The wedding is the day after  
tomorrow. I know that's really short notice, but for some reason, your  
invitation just happened to get lost in the mail, so I made a special  
delivery." He said with a smirk.   
  
"Who else do I know that's coming?" She asked.   
  
"Not sure, Mina and Kunzite did most all the inviting." He remarked,   
trying to avoid the subject.  
  
"Oh. That's okay! I need to go shopping for a dress to the wedding!"  
  
"Wait! Mina asked you before..."  
  
* * *  
  
Mina smiled as Serena walked into her office room. "Hey Sere!" She  
said cheerfully. "I know you're wondering why I called you here, and  
I'll tell you!"  
  
Serena glanced at the girl sitted next to her as she took a seat. She  
was gorgeous with long silky raven-black hair, large violet-colored   
eyes, and a pale complexion that somehow managed to give her an   
elegant look. She was wearing a simple black dress with a yellow   
blouse underneath. They had met several times, but hadn't really  
bothered to get acquainted.  
  
"Sere, this is Raye. She's a friend of mine from college. And well,  
she got hired at this firm! Isn't that great?!" Mina exclaimed.  
  
"Yeah, that's neat, but what does that have to do with me?" She asked.  
  
"I was getting to that. Since I'm moving out of our apartment complex  
as you knew, right?" Mina asked continuing as Serena gave a quick nod,  
"I figured you wouldn't want to move out, so I took it upon myself  
to find you another roommate!"  
  
"You didn't have to. I mean, I knew you and Kunzite were getting  
married soon after your engagement a month ago." Serena replied.  
  
"I wanted to! Especially because this is kind of sudden, and I  
didn't want you to move out because of me. So this is Raye,  
your new roommate!" Mina announced with a wink.  
  
"Do you think we'll make good roommates?" Raye asked Serena. "I mean,  
you go after Mina's brother, and see I have this really awesome guy  
as my brother...so" She said with a teasing look.  
  
Serena half-way managed to stiffle her laughter before admitting to  
the words, "shut up." She laughed.  
  
"See! You're already bickering! Definately roommate material!" Mina  
pointed out.  
  
"You can move in whenever Mina decides to move out!" Serena said with  
a light smile as she exited the room.   
  
* * *  
  
Darien sat down on a couch in the large room. He got out his laptop,  
and went to check his e-mail.  
YOU'VE GOT MAIL!  
  
Feeling a little annoyed, and hoping that it wasn't Kara, he looked  
at the sender.  
AinoM@mail.net  
  
Unrecognizing the sender, he thought of deleting the e-mail and decided  
to open it when he looked at the subject.   
Subject: Invitation! Please open upon arrival!  
  
Darien looked at the date the e-mail was received.   
Date Received: 2001-04-30 @ 6:09  
  
"Shoot! That was almost a month ago." He decided to open the e-mail  
anyway.  
  
Hi Darien!  
This is Mina. Remember me? Probably not, last time I  
saw you, you were...what? 15? 16? Centuries ago! Anyway, I'm getting  
married in May. And I was wondering if you could come to my   
wedding. Yes, this is an invite! (read the subject line ^_~) I wished  
I could give it you in person, but under the current circumstances it  
would be a little difficult. I know this is a month early, but I   
assumed that you wouldn't check your mail in a while with your busy   
schedule. Just wondering. I know you can afford a plane ticket, so   
I'm not too worried about that. ^_- So RSVP at 1-847-965-3215 or   
e-mail me back. The date for the wedding is May 27th. Hope to see you  
then!  
~Mina  
  
Darien checked his calander, "Crap! Today is May 25th. That means I  
have 2 days till Mina's wedding. He checked his daily planner to see   
what he was doing for that day. "Good, I only have a date with Kara. I'll  
cancel and set up the flight." Then he thought back to when he had  
known and been friends with Mina. And silently wondered, -Is Serena  
going to be there?-  
  
* * *  
  
~~2 days later~~  
  
Serena gave herself a quick glance in the mirror. Her blond, hair was   
pinned up in shining individual coils, a few loose strands framing her  
elegantly curved face. Her hair was pulled back and tucked with a few  
soft pink lilies and lavender ribbons.  
  
"Yeah, Jed?"   
  
"They're ready for you downstairs."   
  
"Tell Mina that I'm ready, then."   
  
Raye entered the room dressed in almost an identical outfit of Serena's  
and walked up and gave her a hug. "You're beautiful. See you at the   
wedding."   
  
Jed left, and Serena checked her reflection once more in the full-length  
mirror. She was in light lavander silk. The dress had spaghetti straps with  
the bodice cut low and embroidered and beaded with pearls and other bits  
of jewelry. A few inches below her shoulder blades, the dress wrapped around  
her, hugging her in all the right places. A satin ribbon went around   
her was waist, its color a lighter tint of lavender than the dress. Below  
the ribbon was yards of endless silk that reached down to her toes which  
were strapped in white sandal-like heels.  
  
Serena smiled and got the white beaded crown and pearl-studded veil ready for  
Mina.  
  
Serena smiled and started walking down the steps and into the white   
limo. Mina entered the limo as well, and they left for the church.   
  
* * *  
  
Serena walked down the aisle, her hair glistening as well as her eyes. In her  
hands she held a small bouquet of yellow roses with a couple of white  
lillies. An era of her life was about to end, and her life would have to  
begin again, without Mina or her support.  
  
As she ended the aisle, she smiled to the blonde-haired young man and   
winked. She then turned and walked to the side of the aisle, taking the   
flower girl's hand and guiding her. Everybody turned as the wedding march  
started to play, turning toward the door and watching Mina.  
  
She was in white satin & silk, the white beaded crown and pearl-studded   
veil covering her face and head. She walked down the aisle on her   
father's arm, holding a large bouquet of white roses, the color of hope and  
innocence. Mina had been her best friend for six years now, and Serena  
loved her very much. And now, Mina was leaving her, and Serena had to   
start her life again.   
  
It made her wonder how she ever got on without her Mina before, but as  
she remembered how she HAD got on before, she felt tears threaten her   
eyes. She gripped her lace handkerchief that she held in her hands as well  
as the bouquet and told herself once more that she didn't need him in her  
life, because he left her, but she had Jed and always would have Jed.  
  
Then she saw him. There was no doubting who he was. It was unmistakable,  
his ebony black hair, the enticing sapphire blue eyes, the familiar look,  
the same expression, the same face that had stayed with her for the past 6  
years. "Darien,"  
  
"And do you, Mina Lee Taylor, take this man to be your beloved husband?"  
"I do." Mina replied, an anxious, nervous look on her face.  
"You may now kiss the bride."  
  
* * *  
  
(At the Reception)  
  
Serena smiled as she watched Mina make a face as the photographer messed  
with his camera. She had been posing for several thousands of pictures  
it seemed. She watched Raye dance with Jed, leaning on his arms and she  
felt a pang of jealousy. She quickly cleared the thought out of her head,  
she had nothing to be jealous about. They were just friends.   
  
Darien turned around, to almost jump back as he saw a face that had haunted  
his memory for six years. She was tall up to six feet with her one inch   
white strapped heels, and had a very nice figure. She was wearing a less  
formal outfit than at the wedding, wearing a a creamy silk blouse with   
a plain collarloose and breezy-layered vest. She wore light amethyst  
earrings and a high ponytail tucking a few coils behind her ear.  
  
He was still in a black tuxedo with a satin red necktie underneath the  
black jacket…a suprisingly sexy combination add to his elegantly rich   
black hair. In his breast pocket, there was a rose the shade of his tie,   
as well as a red handkerchief, folded perfectly into a triangle, hanging  
out a little from the pocket.   
  
He realized that Serena still hadn't seen him. And he hid out of sight  
because he knew her well enough to know that the only way he was going  
to get answers out of her was by suprising her.   
  
He watched her silently, drinking a small glass of wine. She was sitting  
in a chair that was out to the side with a genuine smile as a crowd of   
girls continuously pushed each other as Mina threw the bouquet.   
  
To his delight and amazement, the bouquet had landed neatly in her lap,  
and she broke almost into a fit of laughter. The girls in the crowd passed  
her with glares and angry scowls. Jed came up to her giving her a hug  
and whispered something in her ear that made her laugh.  
  
She held the bouquet in her hand, and started dancing with him as a  
slow song started up. He watched her through slitted eyes, and when  
the song ended, he approached her.  
  
Serena turned around, the smile dying on her face and took a step back,  
startled, "Long time no see...Darien"  
  
"Yes, how long has it been now, 5, 6 years?" Knowing exactly how long, up  
to the very day.  
  
"6 years," she said sounding suprisingly calm.  
  
"So...how have you been?" He asked.  
  
"Fine." She replied abruptly, "And you've been doing quite well yourself,  
being one of the richest men on earth." An uncomfortable silence lingered  
in the air.  
  
Darien sighed, "Serena...I think--  
  
"NO!" She said sharply, "No, we don't. I don't have anything to say to  
you, and you made it quite clear what your feelings are." she finished   
calmly.  
  
He frowned, "Serena, I want to know. I NEED to know...before I get  
married." He said, dragging her into an empty room.  
  
"Serena, I need you to know, and I want to know...about us." He said,  
walking toward her, cornering her into a corner of the room.  
  
"What do you need to know? What is there to find out? There is nothing  
between us, not anymore! If there was a time that there was an us, it  
was in another lifetime. We're over, we're done, there is no us any--  
  
She was silenced when his lips met hers. She caught a whiff of him,   
remembering what he smelled like, remembering what it felt like to kiss   
him, remembering HOW she felt everytime he kissed her, remembering...  
how much she had and still did love him. Then they broke the kiss.   
  
She stared at him, her voice caught in her throat. She squeezed her  
eyes shut, holding back the tears that threatened to fall, taking  
deep breaths of air, and swallowed hard.   
  
When she opened her eyes, he was gone. And she remembered exactly why  
she wouldn't, she COULDN'T love him.  
  
* * *  
  
Darien smiled, his heart leaping for joy. Serena still remembered him,  
when he had kissed her, he felt her recognize him, and he knew, that  
after whatever had happened 6 years ago, she still loved him, she might  
not have forgiven him, that's for sure, but somewhere inside her, she  
still loved him and with that love, she might learn to forgive him. He  
didn't want her to stay bitter towards him. He had long outgrown that  
when Kara came, changing his perspective.  
  
He popped out his cell phone and dialed a familiar number, calling his   
business executive, and one of his closest friends, "Hey, Andrew. I'm   
not coming home for a little while. (pause) I have some old business that   
I need to take care of. (pause) I know that, hold up the meeting for me  
and try to get it rescheduled for next month. (pause) I told you, I  
have some important stuff to take care of. (pause) No, it doesn't concern  
you or the business. Don't worry about it. (pause) Oh. Right. Tell Kara  
I've gone off on a business trip and don't worry about me. I'll keep in  
touch, bye." He finished as he shut off his cell phone.  
  
* * *  
  
Serena ran home, ignoring the pain in her feet. "Shoot. I'm never  
wearing high heels and running anywhere ever again."  
  
She ran up the stairs, knowing it would probably be faster than the  
elevator because there was no traffic.  
  
When she finally reached the pent floor, she closed the door and  
locked it. She took off her shoes, flinging it into the carpeted  
floor. She grimaced as she walked over to her bedroom. She found the  
key for her closet and unlocked it.  
  
Slowly and reluctantly, she pulled out a box, filled with all kinds  
of junk. Memories...from the past. She looked through it fondly, finding  
a gorgeous locket Darien had given her engraved   
'Yours forever,'   
-Darien  
  
She took out a picture frame with a picture of them together in the  
park, out on a picnic feeding each other cherries. She cried, she didn't  
want to hold it in anymore. She felt comforted at being able to cry. All  
the years of supressing her emotions, and when he had come back and   
kissed her, it blew up the barrier. She silently sobbed, tears flowing   
from her face, feeling an unfathomable depth of loneliness. Knowing that   
Mina had found someone and had gone out on their honeymoon wasn't of any   
comfort.  
  
Then, a sudden sound startled her. Someone was knocking on the door. She  
put the stuff back, not noticing that a letter had fallen out. She washed  
her face, glanced at the mirror, and decided she wasn't going to look any  
better, and went to open the door.  
  
"Darien? What are you doing here?" She asked.  
  
Darien watched her, her eyes were puffy and red from crying, and she  
didn't look too well. "Serena, are you okay?" he asked.  
  
"I'm fine," she snapped.  
  
He stood at the doorway, "Are you going to invite me in?"  
  
"You can say whatever you need to, right there." She replied.  
  
He sighed, "Then you might want to sit down."  
  
"Fine, come in, I really don't care anymore." She sighed.  
  
Darien scanned the room and saw a letter on the floor. He walked to  
it and picked it up. Serena saw him, and reached for it.  
  
"Serena, what was that?"  
  
Serena held up the letter in her hand, shutting her eyes to keep  
from crying. -I WILL NOT cry! I WON'T!!!-  
  
Darien walked up to her, slowly and cautiously, "Sere..." he paused  
watching her whole body stiffen when he called her that. Remaining  
silent, he gently reached out for the envelope and pulled out the  
letter and began reading.  
  
Serena watched in silence for his reaction. The room remained dormant,  
no sounds coming from either of them.  
  
Darien finally looked up at her, no wonder she hated his guts. Who  
wouldn't in her shoes? A look of disbelief fell on his face as he  
glanced down to see his signature, "Serena, I didn't write this   
letter." Came the reply.  
==============  
Huggles minna! Arigatou for all the nice reviews!!!! Arigato! Please  
R&R! Chapter four should be coming out by christmas??? ^^;;; It's  
a miracle what those reviews can do...^^;; ~Laria 


	3. Cutting Edge - Proposal

Cutting Edge  
By: Laria  
  
  
Disclaimer: (legal stuff...;p) Not mine.  
  
  
Chapter 2: Proposal  
  
  
  
"Then who did?" She asked simply.  
  
Darien had to admit, he was suprised at her lack of emotion. "I have no  
idea. I really don't." And for the first time in a long while, he realized  
he was telling the truth.  
  
Serena sighed before she shut her eyes. "Darien, how COULD--how CAN you do   
this to me? After all these years, when I FINALLY have my life put back   
together in one piece! And you just disappeared! You left without a   
second glance home, not even caring or even thinking about me once!  
  
"That's not true!" He objected  
  
She scowled at him, "Oh, isn't it?" She remarked sarcasically. "And that's   
why for 7 years, you couldn't even spare me a single phone call, or a   
puny letter, or even a freaking postcard?! Then after 6 years, out of the   
blue, I find out all over the media, that you, Mr. Darien --, the richest   
bachelor alive, is engaged..."  
  
He started to say something, but she interrupted, "And don't EVEN say   
you didn't know where I was. I am a PROFESSIONAL ice skater for  
goodness sake! I was in the Olympics! I brought home several medals: gold,  
silver, all of the above and yet, my BEST friend wasn't there! For seven   
years of my life, you left me, you ignored me, you deserted me, and what?  
I'm supposed to forget and just LET you back into my life with open arms??!!   
How am I supposed to forget that for seven of the most important years   
of my life, you left me out in the cold. And then at Mina's wedding  
you suddenly come in on your white horse? How in the world was I fooled by  
your--your charm and wit?! I must have been really STUPID, or maybe, just  
maybe that you were different."  
  
He paused, comprehending her comment. "Maybe so, but I want you to know,  
I want you to understand, after spending a year in Europe. After meeting  
girl after girl, I realized that I loved you. I tried to call you, I sent  
you letter after letter...but you never sent anything back."  
  
She almost scoffed, "Are you blaming this on the poor postal service? The  
second-rate phone company? I lived at my house until I was 16. Are you  
saying that for two years, none of your letters, none of your phone calls  
ever came through?"  
  
He sighed, "Sere, I don't know what happened. But believe me when I say  
I'm not making up excuses. You always knew when I was lying. Look at me."  
He said, taking a step closer to her until they were almost touching.  
  
Serena looked up into his deep blue eyes, and she knew instinctively that  
he wasn't lying. Her eyes filled up with tears, "Why? Why didn't you ever  
come back?" She cried, burying herself in his arms. "I loved you, I  
hated you, but most of all, I missed you..."   
  
* * *  
  
Jed whistled lightly, walking into the familiar red-carpeted lobby of the  
building complex. He waved to Sarah, the receptionist, as he walked   
into the elevator. He took a deep breath to calm himself, after   
watching Mina walk down the aisle, after seeing the happiness she felt,   
he knew what he wanted, and he was ready. -Well, here goes nothing,- he  
thought as he walked out the the top floor. He turned left and stopped at  
her door, before opening it.  
  
He was about to call out to Serena, but he heard voices in the guest room,  
so he followed the voices, and stopped. He stood at the door, unnoticed by  
Serena and...Darien.  
  
* * *  
  
Serena frowned, almost as a sixth sense, she felt someone watching her and  
turned around to angry, suprised blue eyes. "Jed..." she whispered, suprised  
that the words came out.  
  
She watched his eyes flash a whirlwind of emotion: hurt, betrayal, anger,  
and she broke away from Darien's arms. Everything seemed to slow down,   
almost as if her life had been set on slow motion. She watched Jed move out  
of the doorway, running toward his exit.  
  
"Jed! Wait." She heard herself say, then she heard the front door slam, the   
echo reflecting the hollowness of her heart. "I..." She took a deep breath  
and closed her eyes, contemplating what happened, and she took one last   
glance at Darien before shooting out of her apartment after him.  
  
She ran quickly, almost like the wind. Serena watched the busy world around  
her fly into an assortment of colors and noise, but she concentrated only   
at the task at hand. Feeling the cold bite of the wind gave her a sense of  
home, the sense of warmth of how she felt at the ice rink, remembering all  
the times when Jed had stayed with her, and that made her all the more  
determined to catch up to him.   
  
Seeing a flicker of short blonde hair, she gathered up the last ounce of  
energy she could muster, and she overtook him, landing on top of him. She  
got off of Jed, and took short breaths of air. She paused for several  
minutes before starting, "I...I'm sorry." She said, realizing she had no  
idea of what she was going to say.  
  
Jed scowled, "Sorry? Sorry for what, Sere? The fact that OUR whole   
relationship was about you and him, him and you, but never about you and me  
or me and you?" He almost backed down when he saw her flinch, but he   
managed to continue, "I'm tired of being second best, Sere...I want to   
know, do you love me?"  
  
She almost cried when he said that, "I--I don't know. I don't anything   
anymore."  
  
He turned around and let out a deep sigh before facing her again. "I love   
you, but I'm not going to wait my whole life and hang around for you,   
Serena. You have to choose between us. Your love for one of us has to die  
so that the other can move on." He rummaged through his pocket before   
exposing a quaint, wrapped box. "I apologize for piling this stress on you  
right now, but I have a right to know. Maybe this will help you decide." He  
said tossing her the tiny package before walking off.   
  
Serena watched him walk off until she could no longer see his shadow off  
the streetlights. -Oh, Jed.- She thought miserably. She looked down at her  
hands to find a little box about 2 inches tall and wide. It was covered in  
glistening silver wrapping tied with a cute red ribbon. She cautiously  
undid the ribbon and carefully unwrapped the silver. She looked in to find  
a small, black velvet box, and slowly opened it. With a stiffled gasp, she  
almost dropped the precious item. -Jed proposed to me?!-  
  
TO BE CONTINUED...  
=============  
Yay!!! I FINALLY finished Chapter Two!!! I know it pretty much took...um,  
forever, ^^;; but it's finally done! I'm SOOOOOOOO sorry for the   
lateness of this chapter!!! But it was like fate was keeping me away. I   
was away ALL summer, and school's been a nightmare. Then my computer   
crashed, and I had to get my harddrive replaced, so I lost all my   
files Which partly explains my lateness, since I had to start Chapter   
Two from scratch. Then I couldn't log in to SMR, etc...^^;;; So enough  
with my endless babbling and excuses, I will finish up these   
author notes, and ja ne! ~Laria  
  
PS: Feedback encourage me greatly! (*hint*hint)  
E-mails encourage me greatly! (*hint*hint) Laria@prodigy.net  
If you have time, visit my homepage: http://www.geocities.com/lariagirl/ 


	4. Cutting Edge - Departure

Cutting Edge

By: Laria 

Disclaimer: It's mine! It's all mine! *Laughs maniacally* Right! Back to reality…not mine belongs to Naoko Takeuchi and all those other big co. that I don't remember right now…don't sue! I don't even have a penny collection worth taking!

I did revise Chapter One so PLEASE please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please Reread it!!!!!!!!!!!! Oh, yeah! Happy New Year!!!!! Last day of 2001!!!!!!!!! Ahh!!! Exciting! And now…on with the show! ^_^v Don't forget to review! Hehe…

Chapter Three: Departure

Serena walked on, following the sidewalk; her heart beating slowly and steadily. She held on tight to the soft box. Her heart felt like it had wings, her life felt as light as a feather. She felt her cheeks burn up, but she didn't care. For the first time in a long while, she was happy.

Everything from the night was crashing in her mind. Jed's proposal, especially, kept replaying itself in her mind. She sighed in pure bliss. All her problems managed to melt away...for the moment.

* * *

Jed sighed deeply, trying to reassure himself. It was night, but no matter what he couldn't sleep, so he just gave up on that idea. Instead, he was imagining all the scenarios that could happen while trying to prepare himself for both heartache and happiness, not knowing which one to pick. He couldn't believe he had said much less believe that he had done that. In a way he was relieved because it was better to get it over with, but that didn't make the wait or the possible rejection any easier. 

He knew he had to give Sere enough time. Marriage was a big step and it was permanent. You don't decided your whole future and the rest of your life in one day he reminded himself. 

Patience had never been his strong point, but for Serena he would wait for her decision and respect it.

He looked around his crowded apartment. It was a pigsty. His roommates didn't know the word clean existed, and he had been too busy lately to clean up after them. He was entitled to inherit his grandmother's estate when or rather IF she died, he thought with a grin. Then he could move out, and hopefully, move in with Sere. But then again his grandmother had been around longer than he could ever remember. He plopped down on the black leather couch as he realized he had been pacing back and forth beside the phone for the past 30 minutes. 

He took a deep breath. He really needed something to take his mind off this. There was no point in worrying about it unnecessarily. He turned on the TV and nearly jumped when his cell phone rang. He immediately flipped open the top and answered, "Hello?"

"Jed?" A quiet shaky voice asked. He stopped in his track recognizing the familiar voice. His body froze in anticipation and suprise. "Mom?" 

* * *

Her shapely legs took on smooth long strides, pulling behind her her luggage. She was dressed rather plainly, considering her extreme wardrobe. She was wearing a simple and stylish black dress that rested about mid-thigh, hugging her slender figure. Her beautiful red-blonde hair was pulled back into a tight French braid with a few loose tresses framing her elegantly curved face. Her impassive aqua-blue eyes hid behind silver wire-framed designer glasses, scanning the crowd swiftly but thoroughly. Finding nothing worth her time, she walked out and called for a cab. She gave the busy airport one last glance before departing.

* * *

Jed sped to Sere's house, barely under the speed limit. He had to leave at the next available flight, but he sure as heck wasn't going to leave without telling Serena. Nothing on earth could possible possess him to do that, not even the fact that his flight was leaving in exactly 45 minutes. 

He would have to speed to get to the airport, but that didn't bother him at all. He stopped abruptly, parking in the first available space he found. He ran into the building, heading straight for the elevator, not even bothering to greet the secretary. 

He urgently pressed the familiar 5 button. Time seemed to move slower now that he couldn't do anything to move the elevator. He paced back and forth on the red-carpeted floor, glancing at the changing red numbers above the door. He caught glance of himself in the reflecting glass elevator, noting that he looked like crap. After what seemed to be forever, the elevator made the familiar ring and opened. He had a hard time believing that had only been 30 seconds. He had kept time.

He turned, following the usual path to her room. He walked quickly and quietly, hoping that he didn't wake up anyone. He didn't expect that anyone, including Sere would enjoy being woken up at 2:30 in the morning. He knocked as he stumbled onto her apartment number.

He checked to make sure that no one was watching before he lifted the welcome mat that he was standing on. He checked the right corner of the rug and saw the key placed in between threads. *Bingo* he thought as he placed the key into the lock and opened the door.

He took a step and jumped back startled when he saw a dark silhouette of a person in the kitchen. "Serena?" He called out quietly. 

He saw her jump before answering, "No...this is Raye. Jed?" She whispered.

"Yeah, it's me. Is Serena sleeping? And what are you doing up?"

"Yeah. I couldn't fall asleep...although I could ask you that same question."

"Hey, could you wake her up for me? I really have to talk to her...it's really important."

He could barely make out her facial features, but he did notice as they shifted in surprise. "Um...sure." She answered heading toward Serena's room. 

A couple minutes later, a very disgruntled Serena walked out wearing tiny bunny print blue flannel pajama pants and a matching tank top. "What's wrong, Jed? And why did you pick this insane hour of the day to tell me?"

"Hey Sere, my grandmother had a heart attack." He paused, "And I have to go up to Boston to see her. My mother really thinks that she's going to die. She wants me to come up there and stay there for a while, a month at least. Because if she does...if she does die," he faltered, "then I'll have to stay there to sort out appeals, wills, and other stuff. So I might not see you for a long while, and I just wanted to say good-bye, and tell you."

Serena's features softened, "Thanks. I appreciate that more that you can ever know. And Jed, don't worry, I'm sure that it'll be okay. I hope your grandmother gets better soon." She walked up to him and kissed him softly, "I'll wait for you so come back soon." She said gently, showing him her finger which now wore the ring he had given her.

Despite the circumstances, he felt his heart lighten, as if a huge burden had been taken off his shoulders and he felt extremely happy. "I love you, Sere. I'll come back soon. I promise." He kissed her lightly before breaking off. "I have to go. My flight leaves in

30 minutes. Wait for me." He said softly before leaving.

TO BE CONTINUED…

Now that Jed's out of the picture…what'll Darien do?? And can Serena resist? Find out in the next chapter: Disaster

***********

I had this chapter finished a week ago, but I was going to add on to it, but I decided to end it here. No cliffie! Hehe…^_^v Anyhow, I had fun on my trip! Disney world! I didn't really like Epcot, though….not enough rides…hehe ^^;;;  Please REVIEW!!! 

Also, if you want to, leave your e-mail and I'll e-mail you every time I update Cutting Edge! Seeing as how I take forever to update! Finishing up these boring author notes…Ja ne! ~Laria

Thank You's: **Rena** (I'm sorry! I try! But my non-existant life has reared its ugly head. Notice this chapter came faster than the others! I'm getting better! Hehe…^^;; Feel free to add this to your web site! And if you would, give me a linkey so I can visit it!) **Rinoa Hiiragizawa **(I'm pleased that you loved the ending for chapter two…wait till the next three chapters…you'll hate me! Hehe ^^;;; ) **misato **(I haven't written the ending for "Cutting Edge" yet, but reviewers get final say-so in what the end coupling will be! *wink*) **Hilderz **(Thank you! I'm sorry about the last names, but I kinda thought the AU last names were okay…Keep reading, please!) **Lulu **(I think the latter chapters will get…interesting! Ohohoho…. ^^;;; ) **nat** (Like I said before, you get to decide the end coupling! SO review! ^_^v) **Starkeeper** (Gomen! I know it took forever to get out that chapter, but this one is already out! ^_^v ) **MinaXP**(I posted it almost ASAP! I tried…^^;; ) **JLSCORPIO78 **(glad you enjoyed it! IT only took me a month to post out this chapter!) **Masaco_Mamoru **(Hi! I'm glad that you're still keeping with this ficcy! Please keep reviewing!) **mairz87** (please don't kill me! LoL Otherwise no more chapters! Hehe..) **Marni** (I guess we'll find out! ^_^) **it wont let me login!!! **(More's what you want, more is what you will get! But it'll get worse, before getting better…^^) **Miss V** (of course! Thank you!) **Mina-chan** (Jed could be blocking the mail…who knows? Except me! Mwhahaha!!! ^^;;; ) **dev** (I'm sorry about the time leaps, it wasn't planned…it just kinda happened…*^.^* ) **kim** (And the chapters are still coming!) **Mystic_fan55** (You couldn't keep me away! ^_^v ) **Hyper Saki** (wow! Lots of energy! She might end up with Darien, yet. Or maybe Jed…Keep reviewing! ^.-)


	5. Cutting Edge - Disaster

Cutting Edge

By: Laria

Disclaimer: When I own everything I want in the whole wide world, Sailor Moon is mine! ^_^v But until then…it's all Mrs. Naoko Takeuchi's. T_T;;

Chapter 4: Disaster

Her piercing aqua-blue eyes watched him from the luxurious hotel room above. She had been following him for several days, and he still hadn't acknowledged her presence. Granted, she had been very discreet in trailing him. He had been spending a lot of his time watching a blonde-haired girl whom she presumed was Serena. Maybe it was time to enter herself as a player in this game...

* * * * *

Serena paused, took a deep breath before continuing. She had decided that she was going to give one last performance. Her best and final. She was tiring herself with practice, but she was putting all her effort into practicing for this performance. She had been making up this routine for the past couple of days, and had less than 10 hours of sleep for the past 3 days. But she wasn't going to make any mistakes! Her style, her technique, her routine, everything was going to be perfect.

She was trying to put the triple lutz after the triple flip to the triple loop in her routine, but as of right now, she couldn't do the combination that well, and the landing was awful. She was well known for her extremely high jumps. She went through it in her mind and jumped, thrusting herself into the air, but she crashed on the ice. "Ow!" She moaned. She looked at the ice once more and felt strangely dizzy. She shook it off, but decided to call it a day and skated off, slightly limping off the ice. 

As she sat down on the bench, she felt a sharp sting on her inner thigh. She looked down to find a small cut bleeding where she had fallen on the edge of her skates. She hopped to her locker, a smile lighting up her face when she saw her engagement ring. She had hung it up in her locker...partly because she didn't want it to fall off her finger while she was skating or falling and lose it. And partly because she thought of it as her good luck charm, and it inspired her.

She pulled out her bag and put in her skates. She opened her blue book bag and took out a box of bandages, and took care of her injury. She tied her tennis shoes and walked out the door. Almost immediately she was met with a pretty young woman with a heavy French accent, "Are you Serena Kyle?"

Serena jumped in surprise, "Um...yes, I am. Who wants to know?"

The pretty redhead smiled, "Can I treat you to lunch?"

* * * * *

Serena walked swiftly into the building. Liss had asked her to pick something up for her. She hadn't felt too comfortable picking it up, but Liss had pleaded with her, and she finally relented. She walked up to the receptionist and politely asked, "Hi, I, um can you tell me where the main office is?"

The receptionist had long, auburn brown hair tied up into a high ponytail. Her emerald green eyes were sparkling, "Are you Serena Kyle? The ice skater?

Serena blushed, "I...yeah."

"I've see you on TV before, what brings you here?"

"I...I'm doing a favor for someone, can you tell me where the main office is?"

"Oh, right. Yeah, it's past this hallway, last door on the left. Nice meeting you."

"Yeah, you too. Bye." She bid farewell.

* * * * *

Serena followed the hallway until she came to last door on the left where she turned. "Um...hello?" she peeked in. She screamed when surprised blue eyes met hers. When she realized whom they belonged to, she turned to leave after snatching the black purse lying on a blue chair beside the door. 

"Wait Serena."

She turned sharply, "Is something wrong, Mr. Bryan?"

"We've known each other for a while, Serena. And this gives us a perfect chance to get some things straight."

"What is there left to straighten out? I thought it was all pretty much straightened out."   
Darien caught something in her eye this time that flashed too quickly earlier in their first meeting. For some reason, she was more exhausted now than before, she was slower to cover emotions. 

"You did miss me!" 

"Why would I miss a heartbreaking greedy moron like you?" She snapped.

"Because I was important to you!"

"WHAT?" 

Darien's heart became lighter. She was hurt when he had left. She cared about him. He MATTERED a lot more to her than she let herself believe. A surge of relief took over him.   
  


"Look, I just want my purse," she mumbled. "And now that I have it, I think I'll leave," She then swiftly turned to the door once more, and as she grabbed the knob, Darien was gripping her thin wrist.   
  


"Let me go!"   
  


"No! I want to tell you something!"   
  


"I don't care to listen to you right now, Mr. Bryan. I'll see you whenever fate calls for it." She pulled at her wrist, but he kept his grip. Tears started to form, and trickle down. "Let me go!" she cried softly.   
  


He looked at her dubiously, "Serena, we're long overdue for a talk. Meet me tomorrow, at noon. We could grab a bite to eat. And don't even try to find a way out of it because if you don't come to me, I can always come to you."

"LET ME GO!"   
  


Darien startled, dropped her wrist, and she made a run for the door, and ran down the hall.   
  


Darien stared after her, stunned, and relieved. She cared for him still. And the nightmare was over, and all was better in the world. She liked him then, and she liked him still, though she did not know it yet. Then he thought about Kara, he took out his cell phone and dialed the number, time to break things off...forever. 

* * * * *

Raye blinked in surprise. "Serena?"

Serena quickly wiped away her tears. "I didn't hear you come in," she squeaked.

"I just got back." She replied softly. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." She sniffled, taking a deep breath.

"You can tell me. I feel like we haven't really gotten to know each other very well. How about we have a slumber party kind of get up?"

Serena grinned, "Slumber party? We're roommates." She pointed out, "But that does sound like fun. And I suppose it's just the two of us?"

"No, I'm inviting the whole United States," she remarked sarcastically, "Of course it's just us. Maybe you can even tell me interesting events in your life. Or about your wonderfully interesting love life." Raye commented.

"More like complicated," Serena remarked almost bitterly, but her tone changed almost instantly. "But sure, that sounds fun, how about tonight? 7?"

"Sounds good to me. I have to go to work again. My lunch break is over," she explained, "But I'll see you at 7."

Serena waved at her, "Bye, Raye."

* * * * *

Serena grinned as she walked into the room with an armful of grocery bags, "I have one gallon of rocky road ice cream, a large bag of chips with salsa sauce, I ordered one large pizza with everything on it, and one liter of Dr. Pepper. Plenty of food, I hope." She paused, "Anything you don't like?" 

Raye laughed, "Someone came prepared. It sounds fine."

"I'm going to go change," Serena declared, heading into her room. Several minutes later she came out in a flannel bunny print pajamas pants with a matching t-shirt that had one white bunny in the middle of her shirt.

"Cute outfit," Raye commented.

"Thank you!" Serena replied brightly settling herself into the slightly worn, but comfortable couch. "Sit!" She commanded with mock authority. "We are going to stay up all night..."

* * * * *

A pure genuine smile cracked her face, one that had not been there for a while. This was going to be interesting. Did he really believe that after everything she did for him and everything that she did to keep him that she was going to just let him go? She scoffed, _men...they were so easily fooled._

She had her ways. And when she was through, he would come begging to her, to come and take him back. Her thoughts were interrupted when she heard the jingling of keys, she smiled sadistically, time to put Plan A into action.

* * * * *

Serena yawned, she had stayed up all night with Raye, but she did have to practice her skating. Then she thought about Liss. She had a gnawing suspicion about her that she couldn't quite place. Well, she was going to meet her today again after her most likely horrible experience with Darien. But as she was new in town and Serena couldn't help but feel for her, she had volunteered to show her around town. 

But she really was tired. She hadn't had almost any sleep at all these past few days, but despite that, she still practiced from dawn until lunch taking a short break before going back to the ice again. She felt slightly sick at the thought of practicing. Her body was tired and aching, not to mention she felt very sore. 

She looked out onto the ice when the stadium started to tilt toward her and Serena felt like she was losing her balance. Her vision blurred to the point she could barely make out anything, and she blinked several times before rubbing her eyes. As her vision cleared she walked into the cold ice stadium. A chill ran down here spine; something felt strange, it felt like something was...was out of place. 

Ignoring her suspicion, she stretched out and then went through her usual warm-ups. And then she went through the part of the routine that she had down perfectly. Then she approached her triple-triple combo as she called it. She had been skating very fast and when she had gotten to her first triple, she had aced the landing and as she threw herself into the air for the Lutz, a stronger wave of dizziness passed through her while she was in the air and her landing was fairly wobbly and she felt like that something was wrong with the ice, but she still tried for the loop and then she lost her balance completely as she propelled herself into the air and braced herself for the impact against her body, but her head hit hard against the metal handrail that the arena had.

And as she slowly fell out of breath and the darkness in the corners of her eyes seemed to be closing in, she noticed that the ice seemed watery, almost as if it had been melting and then the darkness over took her.

* * * * *

  
Darien glowered, _'Where the hell was Serena?' She was almost an hour late!_ He scowled, it was time to find her although he hadn't wanted it to come to this, he really hadn't. He sighed, but he really couldn't blame her. Darien grabbed his jacket and stalked out of the office, too bad he had no idea where to search for her, he thought ironically, but one place stood out particularly in his mind. A place where a youthful blonde full of energy would show him new tricks that she had learned with excitement. 

* * * * *

His heart raced, blinking several times, unbelieving the sight before him. _She's okay_, he thought to himself, trying to reassure himself that she was fine. He ran to her, pacing himself that he wouldn't fall or slip on the ice.

After what seemed like forever, he reached her. She was still gorgeous, he thought ironically. Her breath was coming in short puffs of air, her dark eyelashes were a sharp contrast against her now snow white skin, her beautiful blonde hair seemed paler than before, cascading around her in waves, her rosy cheeks were a faint pink matching her lips like a corresponding make-up kit.

He felt for her pulse finding a weak, isolated one. He gently carried her into his arms surprised at the coldness of her skin. He walked off as quickly as he could while still keeping his balance. _Good god, Sere, what happened? Just hold on, you'll be fine._

* * * * *

Dr. Amy Mizuno walked across the hall before stopping in front of Room 25; Kyle, Serena, that's what it said. She reviewed her files before walking in. Her eyes briefly flashed in surprise when she saw Darien Bryan sitting beside her bed with his head in his hands. _So, there *was* something going on between those two, _she couldn't help but think. _You learn something new everyday,_ she thought. "Mr. Bryan?"

His head jerked up suddenly, and she could see that he was tired, "Yes?"

She stuck out her hand as he gripped her hand. Amy continued, "Dr. Mizuno, are you her guardian?"

Her dark blue eyes watched in amusement as he shuffled uncomfortably, "Yea-N...is she okay?" He asked.

Her eyes shifted, "Well, it's hard to give her a full diagnosis while she's still unconscious, but she suffered from exhaustion and was dehydrated, but..." Amy trailed off, "you reported that you found her unconscious on the ice?"

Darien met her eyes, "Yes, why? Is something wrong?"

"Perhaps, this is my guess, that while she was skating, somehow, she fell and hit her head on something."

Darien watched her with a frown, "So, what's wrong with her?"

"I believe that she is recovering quite well from the exhaustion, but she had a concussion, and is now in a coma, which is the biggest problem right now.

Darien felt a feeling of dread flood through him, "But...she'll be okay, right?"

Darien watched the doctor's expression darken, "She should be fine...if she wakes up from the coma..."

* * * * *

_(2 days later)_

Darien paced back and forth, looking out the window before looking at Serena. She had been in a coma for 2 days. She was still very pale, but she wasn't getting any worse, he could see that. Amy had told him that there wasn't any brain swelling, but there could still be some memory loss, or at worst some brain damage, but that wasn't too probable, hopefully.

He had called her parents and they were flying in later today. Raye had tried to get a hold of Jed, but he wasn't answering his phone at home or so she told him anyways, not that he was too worried about that. 

Amy and the other doctors had managed to stabilize her condition, but the sooner she woke up, the better. He kept on hearing Amy's voice echoing _"...if she wakes up from the coma..."_

_No_, he clenched his fists. _She'll wake up. And it'll be okay._ He convinced himself. 

"Still here?" He heard a voice ask.

Darien looked up and saw Raye. "Yeah, what are you doing here?"

"Same reason you are, I suppose. I'm her friend, I want to be here when she wakes up." She said taking a sip of coffee. "But really, Darien, you should go home. You've been here the whole two days. Go home and get some rest. You look like you could use some."

"You don't look that great yourself." Darien retorted defensively. 

Raye was about to comment before replying, "Look." She pointed to Serena who opened her surprisingly blank, blue eyes.

Darien ran over to her, followed by Raye, "Sere, are you okay?"

She eyes fluttered open and she shut her eyes and shook her head before her eyes were back to their normal expression, but with confusion. "Darien? Where am I?"

Then she turned around to face Raye, blinking several times in confusion before asking, "Who...do-do I know you?"

Raye stared back at her, "Very funny, Serena. I'm your roommate, and you knew that." 

Serena looked at her blankly, "What are you talking about?" Serena almost laughed, but the look on the girl's face scared her. "You can't be serious. Hello? I'm live with my parents until I get shipped off to college. So as of yet, I don't have a roommate."

Darien frowned in confusion, "Sere, how old are you?"

She scowled, "How can you not know how old I am?"

"Just answer the question, please."

"16" She replied with a light frown.

Next Time: Serena doesn't remember the last 7 years of her life, but will Darien take advantage of that? Read on in the next chapter: Chance

Mwhahahahahahhahahahhahahhahahahhahahahaha!!! I'm so *evil*! hehee...BIGBIGBIG cliffie!!! What's going to happen? I have a plan (that's a first). This will be the last chapter for a while...my current "situation" will keep me from writing for a little while. I'm sooo sorry that it took forever to get this chapter out, (almost 2 months) but I wasn't happy with it for a long time. 

Anyway, this is my shameless promotion, if you like this ficcy, PLEASE please please please please please please please please please please please please go read **"Beyond All Doubt" **by...me! ^^;; And don't forget to review! ^^v

But if you want to read an interesting different kind of ficcy, please read my new fic under the pen name "Triton" co-written with Mashaka and Starlight Nemesis, called _"A Star's Shine" _

Okay, people who can't pay for support services on ff.net and want to know about updates, send an email to me (or write a review) and **please put down your email**!), and I'll inform you of updates myself. Laria@prodigy.net Until next time, ja ne! ~Laria

Feedback is the best inspiration! Review! or E-mail! (Laria@prodigy.net)

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Thanks to my reviewers: **Mystic_fan55:** I'm soo sorry for this chapter taking forever to come out! Homework...^^ Maybe there's still a chance for Darien and Serena...maybe not? hehe...^^;; **DevilsDarling: **S/J, D/S? I don't even know yet! ^^ Should be interesting to see how this turns out...hehe **AMYANGEL:** Score 2 for S/J! ^^v **Starry: **Evil! Moi? *innocent look* Don't you love this chapter?! **Soap: **Mail Delivery Problems? Or maybe something more...** Kiwi:** Jed with Raye and Serena with Darien? Talk about complicated...^^ **mairz87:** Death threats? got to love them! ^.~ **JLSCORPIO78:** You have NO idea how much fun I'm going to have now!!! ^_^v **Eternal Eclipse: **Interesting little love triangle we have going here, ne? **MasacoMamoru: **Jed is a sweetie, ne? And there will probably be going to be even more bugging from now on! Hehe...


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